HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL: Lawrence stifles Hightstown with strong defense

HIGHTSTOWN — Playing for the second night in a row, the Lawrence and Hightstown High boys basketball teams took a little time to get going last night. But once they did, it was the Cardinals who turned up the game by tightening its defense.

Though coach Jeff Molinelli’s new team was not bad offensively either, it was Lawrence’s defense throughout which held the Rams at bay on the way to a 63-33 win.

“It was O.K.,” Cardinals 6-foot-4 junior forward Jordan Glover said of having to play two days in a row. “I like playing ball all the time, so I felt like it was good to get these two wins and try to get a win streak going to get us back on the right track.”

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Missed shots and turnovers by both teams had some in attendance wondering what direction both teams were going at the outset, but Lawrence (4-3) left little doubt in the second quarter as it limited Hightstown (1-6) to two baskets, while the visitors got their offense untracked.

Senior guard Russell Austin opened things up for his teammates inside with a pair of long 3-point field goals as the Cardinals went on a 16-4 run that quarter to take a 29-13 halftime lead.

“In the first quarter, we were able to stick with them,” Rams first-year head coach Matt Durstewitz said. “But they are so much bigger than us, it wears you down.”

“We came out slow, then we picked up the intensity. We just came out and played harder,” said Glover, who had a lot to do with getting Lawrence to the next level in the second half when he scored 13 of his game-high 17 points and grabbed six of his 10 rebounds. “We’ve still got to work on boxing out, getting rebounds and cutting down our turnovers.”

Yet while the Rams gave a better showing in the third period as senior guard Tyler Klose scored all eight of his team-leading points, the home team still found itself in a 45-25 hole heading into the final eight minutes because of Glover’s dominating play along the baseline.

As if that was not enough of a problem, Austin added 11 points on the game and 6-4 junior forward Jordan Wright turned in 12 points and five steals as the Cardinals clamped down on defense once more in the fourth quarter, closing the game with an 18-8 burst.

“We would grab a rebound, start to run and turn the ball over,” Durstewitz said. “We’d do something good on defense, then give the ball up. It was a bit demoralizing.”

As both young teams continue to look for brighter spots, the one advantage they gain from playing two days in a row is a longer break until their next game (Tuesday) during to get in some practice time.

Whether it be game time or practice time, Glover and Co. are hoping they are starting to play the way they are capable heading into the heart of the season.